Starkehre

Hi Bisart, just in case it helps or of you are interested, I have recently had an Advantage custom built and I live on the Mornington Peninsula. If you would like to, you may come over and have a look. :D I have PMd you also.

Your son is one clever boy!!! :D Last night we were saying it would be good if they made like a sheet for bed to cover with on these really hot nights but that would be heavy too, so a sheet to lay on might be the better option Dyzney thanks for the response in regards to going in the river with the collar on You are very welcome. Have a great day all.... and try to stay cool.

Oonga, the polymers will not absorb the salt content in the water, so really it isn't a problem in that way. But if OH lets Maia spend more than a couple of minutes in the water, the polymers will manage to absorb water still anyway. This may result in the Collar becoming over engorged and swollen, which in turn can result in it being so heavy it may come off in the water with the weight of the water flowing past it. If it comes off in the water it will sink and then it is gone. Not really worth risking IMO. Also becoming over swollen will make it too stiff to bend around her neck. It will not get so tight that it is a danger to her breathing. The fabric would split at the stitching and contents would seep before that would happen. During experiments, it is not possible to do up a Collar that is dangerously too tight, as it will just not stay done up. They are very safe in this regard. It is soft fabric and mouldable polymers that do have their limit of absorption. In manufacture the collars are only filled with the optimum quantity of polymers for safe use. I vote the easiest and safetest thing to do would be to ask OH to take it off whilst Maia has a little dip and pop it back on afterwards for the remainder of the walk to your work. The Collars also release heat if taken off for a while, so it is a good thing to do this. I also turn mine every now and then as it has the same affect. When OH takes off Oonga's Collar before her dip, he will notice that it will have a slightly warmer feeling to the side that was in contact with her neck. But once it has been off for a litle while, it will be cool again as the heated side will have evaporated.

That very disappointing, but I had a feeling that would happen, hence why I mentioned it when you first told me about the ferrets. My gut feeling is - as they are such tennacious little critters, they will just keep trying to chew it no matter what you do. I think as you say, you are better off using it yourself. Silly little bliters can't even tell when they are on a good thing. Oh well, can't say you didn't try to help them.

You girls are funny. :D Could you imagine an entire body suit. It would be so heavy you would not be able to move.... but hey, at least you would be cool. 4Kelpies, glad the day went OK, and you all survived the heat. Yes, I am sure your dogs were much better off with their Collars. Sometimes the heat is extreme that no product will totally eliminate all the heat when we are out and about, but as long as the dogs are more comfortable, then we have done our jobs. I wore my Collar on sunday showing, and did not get any weird looks or comments. Some people wanted to have a go at wearing my Collar though.

Thank you PTD. Being posted this morning. Have a great day.

Hi Alyosha, I soaked mine the other day and then hung it on the line for a few hours until the cover was completely dry. It's been sitting on the couch now for 2 days with a thin blanket on top to cover it. It's been sat on, jumped on and layed on in that time (by me, 40kg dog and 25kg 10 year old son) and the couch and blanket are completely dry (crystals inside the mat are still full though and mat is still cold). I would think that if you dried the cover out properly that you'd be fine with it. I'm planning on using mine on the car seat this week to keep me cool during the heat wave. I'm pretty confident I wont end up with a wet bum lol Thanks for assisting with explanation SK. Great application also. The Pads are very versatile. well done. Just as a precaution, when I am using my Pads on the carpet or furniture I always pop a towel underneath, but then I am not always so thorough with checking mine have completely dried out. I have never had an issue with leaks, drips and damage to carpet or furtniture. The Pads can withstand extreme weight. Any amount of weight from either person or dog that can physically fit onto the pad will never be too heavy.

Hi Alyosha, yes the Pad will dry out totally so that there is no moisture coming out of it. If your situation requires that the Pad must be completely dry whilst being used, then just leave it on the line or somewhere similar for it to dry for a while. Depending on the weather it can take anything from a couple of hrs to a day. There is so much polymer inside the Pad that it will not dehydrate in this time. The polymers absorb water that cannot be squeezed out of them. The water evaporates out over time for releasde. so, the weight of the dog will not cause any seepage provided you have allowed enough time for excess water to drain off and the outer fabric to dry. I hope this explains it for you.

Hi ABC, if China is likely to be excited by something new that she sees him wearing to the point where you think she will grab and bite at it, it is likely that at the very least she will pull it off him if not put her teeth through the fabric and destroy the Collar. The Polat Collar fabric will not withstand chewing or biting. The fabric, though definitely strong enough to successfully do the job it is required for, is light weight so as not to be excessively heavy around the dog's neck. If he is not a chewer, then China can probably wear one, but from the sounds of things, probably not him. The other option if it is possible is to separate them while they are wearing their Polar Collars if this suits your arrangements and set up. The Polar Collars I am currently using are now over 2 years old. I am not gentle with them. They get tossed around and throw wherever when not in use. They are still as new, and have been soaked and dehydrated many many times. So, they are quite durable, just not chew proof. My young boy did pull one off my Standard Poodle twice before I gave up putting it on her with him around. He is pretty full on, and he thinks the Collars are toys. He didn't do any damage to it, but he could have. It is good for me to experiment with these things so I can report when asked these sorts of questions. Thanks for your reply dysney. I am considering getting one and giving it a go. I thought I could monitor the reaction etc for the first few times I put it on Bron and go from there. The old boy is really feeling the heat already and is treating the clam shell as a bath (ie not wanting a bar of it), so have to do something for him. I don't think that China would chew on it. I'm sure I read on here somewhere about what's inside the collars but can't find it for the life of me atm. So, can I ask, if the collar was punctured are the contents toxic at all? ABC, the polymers (which are the crystal contents) are not at all toxic. Like I mentioned earlier, not an ideal meal for your dog, but perfectly safe if accidentally ingested. If a reasonable quantity of polmers are in the dehydrated state and ingested, that could possible be more dangerous as once they become wet, they absorb moisture and sweel, so obvious care need to be heeded in leaving dehydrated Collars and Pads lying around. Your dog would not be wearing a dehydrated Collar, so this is not an issue in your situation. Yes, the poor dogs are really feeling the heat, particularly the older ones.

Yeh, I would too 4 kelpies... what the big boy doesn't know won't hurt him, :D Good luck tomorrow

Hi princesszelda. I am thrilled to hear Bella is enjoying her Polar Pad. Regarding cleaning the pee off - simply give it a hose down or rinse under cold water. If it has been sitting around most of the day, an extra wetting will not hurt it. The polymers do not absorb urine, so only the fabric will. Giving it a good rinse will be plenty. However, if at any time you feel you want to do more than that you can use a detergent and give it a hand wash with that. Ensure you completely rinse any soap out of the fabric before use again, just as you would when you wash any fabric products. The Pad can be used directly after a wash and does not require dehydrating first. I have just finished soaking our 3 Collars and Pad for a hot day of showing tomorrow. I pack them into a Crate Carry Bag with a loose towel (to absorb excess water) for the trip. OH and I wear a Collar each, Jag wears the other one and he will also have his Pad inside his crate. I will also pop the Pad into the back of the car for the trip home for him.... Jag that is, not OH.

Hi saxonspride. Glad Saxon appeared to enjoy wearing his Collar and felt the benefit. Excellent news. I am thrilled that you are happy. I will send you a PM regarding crates etc.

Hi cashew. Well that was nice and quick wasn't it?! aust Post must have lifted their game. :D Giggles must have a wee little fine neck. Sorry, this is outr smallest size. but it sitting low and slightly over his chest will not matter provided it is not so low it is sort swaying and rosking his front legs stepping through. You can always add another little piece of velcro if it concerns you at all. I bet he looks cute in it. he is such a proud stepping smart little man. Rose might even go for him now

Good point Danois. If the products have been allowed to dehydrate and are not being used, they should be stored away in a dry place and away from where chewing pets can get hold of them. When I have decided to pack mine away for the season I will dry them out on the clothesline, then they are bagged and put into the cupboard. during the warmer months, when not in use inbetween uses, they sit in or on the laundry trough or on the washing machine. The laundry door stays shut to the dogs.

That'd be great. Just experiment with your soaking process. Variable effect this process - like water quality etc. You are most welcome.

Hi shmoo, thanks for getting back. Great, well we have established that Dex is quite happy to wear the Collar, so that's good. OK, well it sounds like it might be coming off because of a couple of likely possibilities. Firstly, if you are resoaking your Collar each or every other day for over 5 minutes, it should only need about 30 seconds to a minute to top it up. 5 minutes each day in my experience would cause it to be over soaked and way too stiff. I think you might need to let it sit for a day or 2 to dehydrate a bit. Once it is soft and slighty deflated, try soaking and massaging while doing so, and watch it. It should be ready to go again quite quickly. Only if the Collar has been left for a week or so will it require a longer top up soak. Over soaking will also result in the Collar being heavier than it is supposed to be during use. It will not matter if the Collar is wet or dried to use, so long as you don't mind if the dog gets a little damp around the neck. When I use mine, typically I run my hand over it after pulling it out of the water, making my fingers into a tubular shape sort of like squeezing the excess off the fabric . The only time I would be more concerned about towelling off the fabric would be when I am using the Collar at a show before we go in the ring, just because I don't want his neck hair to appear wet. There is also a chance that Hazel may be grabbing at the Collar or in play Dex may rub it off on her also. Anyway, I think we have a plan to slightly dehydrate your Collar a bit, as it sounds like it is excessively swelled and not curving nicely without strain and pressure on the velcro. See how you go with that. And thanks for your PM also. Cheers and have a great day.

That's terrific Skye2. Thanks for letting me know. I bet he feels so much better on the warm days now. Yeh, other than shmoos' Dex, I have not heard of any dog that doesn't like wearing the Collar... but we will get that sorted out, one way or another.

You have got me totally stumped with that one shmoo. Like I mentioned previously. I have never seen a Polar Collar that will come undone with a simple head shake. Can you tell me please, is Dex just having a bit of a shake, or is he literally shaking rigorously to get it off? I am just wondering, if it is the latter he must be extremely adverse to wearing it. Still can't understand it coming off. You should not have to let it drain or dehydrate for Dex to wear it, but how about you try this. If he is really not happy wearing the Collar, how about you let it dehydrate for a couple of days. It will still be quite activated, but lighter in weight... even give it several days or so if you like. You may need to train him to wear it and enjoy it. So, then you can pop it on him. Even pop a lightweight rubberband around the Collar where the polymer is (reasonably tight) and also around a normal collar of his to ensure it stays on. If he can gradually get used to the weight and feel of it, you can do mini soaks over days after that, until he ignores wearing it. If you think it is a size or velcro issue, post it back to me and I will have a look at it for you. Oh, something else I just thought of... are you over soaking the Polar Collar. You will know it you have oversoaked it as it will be quite hard and not flex easily. If this is the case, the velcro will have constant pressure on it to come apart. Now, unfortunately as Dex knows he can shake the Collar off, he will probably continue to do so. So, try going back to training him to wear it as suggested above with some Collar dehydration first, and see how you go. Let me know how it goes. Ps. shmoo, I have PMd you to get some more details.

That's always the way isn't it

Hi Wolfsong, because the Polar Collars have a velcro fitting, if they ever got snagged on anything in the yard they would be pulled undone before the dog would come to any grief. Having said this many people are not comfortable leaving anything on their dogs when unsupervised. The Collar itself is safe regarding cooling etc. It will never chill the dog. So provided you are comfortable with the fit, then there is no reason why not if you are the type of person that would feel happy normally leaving a collar on your dog unsupervised. If there are multiple dogs involved in being left, then ensure one is not a chewer, particularly a collar chewer or it will chew the Polar Collar off the dog wearing it, and end up with the contents everywhere. It is non-toxic to ingest, but obviously better in the collar than in the dog's tummy. Damnation... here I was thinking I had found what i was looking for. dyzney how tough are the collars? China isn't necessarily a collar chewer... more a Bron chewer and also jumps and grabs him (if that makes sense). Just wondering whether the collar would withstand that sort of treatment. Sadly a mat would be more likely to come to grief as they like to cart and shred their bedding... tis great fun apparently. :) Hi ABC, if China is likely to be excited by something new that she sees him wearing to the point where you think she will grab and bite at it, it is likely that at the very least she will pull it off him if not put her teeth through the fabric and destroy the Collar. The Polat Collar fabric will not withstand chewing or biting. The fabric, though definitely strong enough to successfully do the job it is required for, is light weight so as not to be excessively heavy around the dog's neck. If he is not a chewer, then China can probably wear one, but from the sounds of things, probably not him. The other option if it is possible is to separate them while they are wearing their Polar Collars if this suits your arrangements and set up. The Polar Collars I am currently using are now over 2 years old. I am not gentle with them. They get tossed around and throw wherever when not in use. They are still as new, and have been soaked and dehydrated many many times. So, they are quite durable, just not chew proof. My young boy did pull one off my Standard Poodle twice before I gave up putting it on her with him around. He is pretty full on, and he thinks the Collars are toys. He didn't do any damage to it, but he could have. It is good for me to experiment with these things so I can report when asked these sorts of questions.

Hi Cashew, how are you? Regarding Polar Pad sizing, it really depends greatly on the application - where you intend to use it, in the car, in the house, on his bed, outside, in a crate (if in a crate will he be locked inside and what are the dimensions of the crate? with the Polar Pads the dog does not need to fit his entire body on to the Pad. Many dogs are more than happy just to have their hips or just their shoulders cooling on the Pad, and others will happily lay their entire body onto it. so, you see, size is really not critical. the dog will use the pad to assist him with lowering his core body temperature. so, if you want to get back to me with some application details, I can advise further, but I will usually always give a range of size options that I would advise, and then you can choose which size will suit your budget the best. If being used inside a locked crate, that is more specific. ;) also, all the dimensions are shown within each individual listing. alternatively all the Polar Products are up on my website now, so you do not need to go through ebay if you do not wish to. www.k9softdogcrates.com.au Thanks Dyz! My Giggles is still missing Rosie greatly :D That was very funny wasn't it? Giggles was so taken with Rose. He was so serious about it, but very keen. I think giggles is very cute. rose wasn't overly impressed tho.

Hi Wolfsong, because the Polar Collars have a velcro fitting, if they ever got snagged on anything in the yard they would be pulled undone before the dog would come to any grief. Having said this many people are not comfortable leaving anything on their dogs when unsupervised. The Collar itself is safe regarding cooling etc. It will never chill the dog. So provided you are comfortable with the fit, then there is no reason why not if you are the type of person that would feel happy normally leaving a collar on your dog unsupervised. If there are multiple dogs involved in being left, then ensure one is not a chewer, particularly a collar chewer or it will chew the Polar Collar off the dog wearing it, and end up with the contents everywhere. It is non-toxic to ingest, but obviously better in the collar than in the dog's tummy.

Hi Cashew, how are you? Regarding Polar Pad sizing, it really depends greatly on the application - where you intend to use it, in the car, in the house, on his bed, outside, in a crate (if in a crate will he be locked inside and what are the dimensions of the crate? with the Polar Pads the dog does not need to fit his entire body on to the Pad. Many dogs are more than happy just to have their hips or just their shoulders cooling on the Pad, and others will happily lay their entire body onto it. so, you see, size is really not critical. the dog will use the pad to assist him with lowering his core body temperature. so, if you want to get back to me with some application details, I can advise further, but I will usually always give a range of size options that I would advise, and then you can choose which size will suit your budget the best. If being used inside a locked crate, that is more specific. also, all the dimensions are shown within each individual listing. alternatively all the Polar Products are up on my website now, so you do not need to go through ebay if you do not wish to. www.k9softdogcrates.com.au

Great news SK. Glad Kei is getting excellent benefit from his Collar. Surely there is room for both of you to get a hip each onto the Pad. About ebay, I was on to them this morning, and they are currently in the process of rectifying some internal issues. Hopefully it will all be sorted soon. they promised me 3 hrs about 5 hrs ago, so it is a nuisance. It is giving sellers some bigger issues other than feedback. AARRRGGGHHHH. All to do with invoicing.

roses, thank you. I have PMd, ebay messaged and emailed you. :D